In a definitive move that reshapes the global artificial intelligence landscape, SoftBank Group Corp. has officially completed its historic $41 billion investment commitment to OpenAI. The finalization of this massive deal, confirmed via reports from CNBC and official statements on Wednesday, marks the largest private technology funding commitment in history and cements Masayoshi Son’s Japanese conglomerate as the second-largest shareholder in the world’s leading AI developer.
The closing of the deal was secured by a final cash infusion of approximately $22.5 billion, transferred during the last week of December 2025. This final tranche follows a structured series of investments that began in early 2025, including an initial $7.5 billion direct investment and an oversubscribed $11 billion syndicated contribution from third-party investors. With the transaction now fully funded, SoftBank’s aggregate ownership in the ChatGPT creator stands at approximately 11%, placing it just behind Microsoft, which remains the primary stakeholder with a 27.5% interest.
This financial milestone represents a bold, "all-in" pivot by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who has aggressively reallocated capital to secure a central position in the race toward Artificial Super Intelligence. To fulfill this monumental commitment, SoftBank engaged in significant portfolio maneuvers, including the liquidation of its entire $5.8 billion stake in Nvidia and nearly $5 billion in T-Mobile US holdings. Son’s strategy underscores a transition from diversified tech investing to a concentrated bet on AI infrastructure and foundational models. During recent industry events, Son reportedly characterized these sales as a necessary sacrifice to provide the liquidity required for OpenAI’s capital-intensive road toward the next generation of computing.
The capital infusion arrives at a time when OpenAI’s valuation has reached stratospheric heights. Following a secondary stock sale in October 2025, the company’s valuation was pegged at $500 billion, though analysts suggest the recent funding round and shifting market dynamics could propel the firm toward a $1 trillion valuation ahead of a rumored initial public offering in 2027. This newly secured $41 billion is expected to be funneled directly into "Project Stargate," a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure initiative aimed at building massive data center campuses across the United States. This effort is further bolstered by SoftBank’s recent $4 billion acquisition of DigitalBridge, a move designed to provide the physical backbone including fiber networks and power capacity necessary to sustain OpenAI’s scaling requirements.
The alliance between SoftBank and OpenAI is viewed by industry experts as a strategic counterweight to the dominance of traditional cloud providers. While Microsoft provides the primary cloud environment for OpenAI, SoftBank’s involvement offers the startup a distinct channel for global expansion and specialized hardware infrastructure through SoftBank’s ownership of chip designer Arm Holdings. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, highlighted the significance of the partnership by noting that SoftBank’s early recognition of AI’s potential and its massive global scale would accelerate the deployment of advanced intelligence systems worldwide.
As the tech sector closes out 2025, this completed investment signals the end of the speculative phase of AI funding and the beginning of an era defined by massive capital deployment into physical infrastructure. By successfully raising and transferring $41 billion in a single calendar year, SoftBank has not only stabilized OpenAI’s balance sheet for the foreseeable future but has also positioned itself as the primary architect of the infrastructure that will host the future of intelligent computing.
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